Heavy title.

Can be done in many ways. Religion, social conditioning (hierarchical empathy). I've seen Nazism and communism in action.

Many of you are very intelligent (in spite of posting on a football forum).
Yet most of you seem programmed in your politics. Articulate and educated, yet unswerving in politics.

Discuss

I disengage, I turn the page.

Unfortunately, adversarial politics requires a lot of time wasted just criticising the other side. I'd prefer that we used our time for sensible discussion, but there are those who are incapable of objectivity or taking off their party tie. Discussion with them is a waste of time.

I'm sure that since its invention and common use, the television has become the biggest weapon in conditioning people's mind. Advertising, so called news and even the perpetuation of traditional influences like religion can all be sent straight to the home. Now we have the internet to add to the saturation.

We are now seeing those that have the most influence on the planet trying to mould people's minds to suit their agendas. It is Orwell's 1984 except that he was a little premature with his date.

The conditioning that's done these days isn't by politicians or the media. It's on here. On the internet, where we are suffering from ex-Pres Obama described as "truth-decay".

We are really in the post-truth era, when anyone can post whatever they want and when it chimes with a pre-conception can take root and reach millions in no time.

When those posts can be created by people determined to divide and mislead us the dangers ought to be obvious.

How to manage this, without threatening our right to free speech, is a huge issue for us all.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

Interesting subject. I’m not a lover of any of the political parties, mainly because they don’t ever fulfill their major election promises, let alone the minor ones. I find myself swayed towards conservative policies but I also find myself agreeing with other parties ideals.

I agree with others that social media has a big impact, however for me the biggest influence between the people and those in power is trust or rather the lack of it. People no longer trust anything anyone says because they have been let down or lied to that often by those in control.

This even filters down to relationships such as that between say the public and the Police. When I was a kid we were all scared witless by the old bill and you would treat them with total respect. Bit of a difference now when you see the youth and Police conversing, but this is just an example of how the whole world has gone. No respect, no trust.

People lurch from one extreme to the other. A sensible criticism of the mainstream has segued into having no critical filter for any old sh!t that's posted on social media. It's certainly done a number on many. Their drug of choice in fact.

When you think about it most people, up until maybe even as recently as say 10 years ago, only had maybe two or three sources of media. Certainly in terms of the big stories then perhaps just the single one.

Most people bought a daily newspaper and most people sat down at a fixed time to watch a news bulletin. The stream of information was narrow and therefore much more controllable.

But now?

People bemoan social media and often with some justification but it has also opened up the world and made many many more people accountable for their actions.

Would Jimmy Saville have hidden in the shadows for so long in the spotlight of social media? Would have girls up north have been abused for so long in the spot light of social media?

Hence why I am so so wary of any and every attempt to limit what people are allowed to watch and listen to. Now I don't count myself as a 'fan' of Tommy Robinson and have long harboured suspicions that he is a state player in some guise of the other but the way he has been ostracised and treated by our legal system (I never realised but for somebody who is meant to be this hardened criminal they have never once allowed him to be adjudged by a jury) makes me realise have pernicious the attempts to control the narrative we are allowed to hear and learn about actually are.

Of course the usual suspects are now going to come on here and throw all the usual BS around (I know, its not his real name) but I would challenge any of them to, if possible, take a step back and ask themselves about the treatment meted out to him and wonder if that is actually a system they fully support. Because it could turn its attention in their direction one day, hence why we all have to oppose almost all attempts at censorship.

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." - 1984 - George Orwell.